Dissolution and regeneration of hide powder/cellulose composite in Gemini imidazolium ionic liquid

Gemini imidazolium ionic liquid , 3,3′-[1,2-ethanediylbis (oxy-2,1-ethanediyl)]-bis[1-methyl-imidazolium]-dibromide ([C 6 O 2 (mim) 2 ][Br] 2 ), was used for the dissolution and regeneration of white hide powder (from pigskin), and blend white hide powder with cellulose for the easy production of white hide powder/cellulose composite. Dissolution performance of white hide powder in [C 6 O 2 (mim) 2 ][Br] 2 was studied. The native white hide powder and [C 6 O 2 (mim) 2 ][Br] 2 regenerated white hide powder were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, DSC–TG and FE-SEM. The results showed that [C 6 O 2 (mim) 2 ][Br] 2 was a good solvent to white hide powder. The dissolution time was 55   min when the white hide powder was 8% at 120   °C. The dissolution time of [C 6 O 2 (mim) 2 ][Br] 2 for white hide powder was shorter than those of common ionic liquids. The triple helical structure of white hide powder was partly destroyed during [C 6 O 2 (mim) 2 ][Br] 2 dissolution. The possible mechanism of white hide powder dissolution in [C 6 O 2 (mim) 2 ][Br] 2 and the regeneration of white hide powder in methanol had been proposed. White hide powder/cellulose composites were successfully dissolved in [C 6 O 2 (mim) 2 ][Br] 2 . The performance of white hide powder/cellulose film was measured by FT-IR and TG. The tensile strength , and elongation at break of white hide powder/cellulose composite films were tested. This work demonstrated that the white hide powder/cellulose composite exhibited some potential in collagen-based tissue engineering.